Ralph Lauren quietly shuttered its two-year-old 20,000-square-foot store last week. Other brands are expected to close boutiques in a city that has lost its luster for cash-rich mainland Chinese tourists.

A handful of new reports painted a dim picture for retail and apparel after the nadir of the recession. Consumer confidence dipped unexpectedly this month, and 60 percent of retail finance chiefs said they feel excess inventory will pose a bigger risk to sales than stock shortfalls this holiday season. Luxury retailers, too, are scrambling — in as dignified a manner as possible — to hold the attention of well-heeled shoppers who aren’t as immune to recessions as once thought. To examine challenges facing the luxury sector, WWD hosted a forum titled “Luxury Redefined: Strategies for Success in the New Economy.”

Picking up the pace of its designer collaborations, fast-fashion giant H&M selected French designer Sonia Rykiel to create a lingerie collection for holiday retailing. The collection is to be launched Dec. 5 in 1,500 H&M stores worldwide, and also at Rykiel boutiques — the first time a guest designer for H&M will do so. The French firm counts 44 boutiques worldwide, along with 52 shop-in-shops.

By her own admission, Kim Kardashian’s debut fragrance has been a long time coming. “When I was little, my sister Kourtney and I tried to make our own perfume by picking flowers and putting them in the blender, because that’s how we thought fragrances were made,” Kardashian said during a phone interview. “Our parents thought we were crazy — and it smelled totally gross!”

Retailer attendance at the Moda Manhattan show was up 20 percent from September 2008. Britton Jones, president and chief executive officer of Business Journals Inc., which organizes Moda and AccessoriesTheShow, credited the increase to an aggressive marketing campaign, as well as a renewed retail attitude. “It’s not because Ben Bernanke says that the recession is likely over and everybody’s going to run out and spend,” said Jones. “But from the experience on the floor, retailers feel optimistic about the upcoming season.”

Donald G. Fisher, who with his wife Doris founded Gap Inc. and revolutionized global specialty store retailing, died at his home in San Francisco after a long battle with cancer. He was 81. Fisher’s demise comes just more than a month after the 40th anniversary of when he and his wife founded the company, named for the “generation gap” between Baby Boomers and their parents. Then 41 — and with no retailing experience — he abandoned a well-established career in real estate development to become the clothier to his sons’ generation just weeks after Woodstock and a month after man landed on the moon. (Click to see milestones in Gap history.)

In February 1947, Paris’ chic Avenue Montaigne played host to a seminal moment in fashion history — Christian Dior’s first show. And WWD was there. “A bright new star flashed into the couture firmament today when Christian Dior presented the first collection of his house,” read the opening to the review in the following day’s paper. Though WWD didn’t coin the phrase, “The New Look” — it’s credited to Carmel Snow, then editor in chief of Harper’s Bazaar — it did wire back enough information on the event to make readers feel like they were front-row guests. (Click to see all the images.)

WWD's Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide is brought to you by @styleontherise and is complete with the perfect presents for everyone on your list. Click the link in our bio to start shopping NOW. #WWDHoliday #Sponsored

@rebeccaminkoff is bringing self-checkout to high fashion: The brand has partnered with @queuehop to bring its customers self-checkout options, beginning this holiday season at its SoHo store. (📷: @aurorarosephoto)

It was a big night for Demna Gvasalia at the Fashion Awards 2016 in London: The designer took home the award for international ready-to-wear designer for his work at @balenciaga, while his brand @vetements_official scooped international urban luxury brand. (📷: @giovanni_giannoni_photo)